COVID-19 testing rates up in region; one new case in Lee County

COVID-19 testing rates climbed across the region Friday, with one new confirmed case reported in Southwest Virginia.

According to the Virginia Department of Health (www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus), the latest LENOWISCO Health District COVID-19 case was reported in Lee County, bringing that county’s total to eight confirmed cases and no deaths since Virginia’s first case was reported on March 7.

Wise County’s pandemic total remained at 20 confirmed cases and one death, and Scott County’s total stands at five cases and one death. Norton also remained level at two cases and no deaths. The district’s total stood Friday at 35 cases and two deaths.

The Tennessee Department of Health (www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov), reported no change in cases or deaths for Hawkins, Sullivan and Washington counties on Friday. Hawkins stood at 28 confirmed cases and two deaths, Sullivan at 47 cases and one death and Washington at 46 cases and no deaths.

The TDH tracking website reports negative test result totals and confirmed cases for each county. Based on that data, Hawkins County had 627 residents tested for COVID-19 out of a population of 56,786, for a testing rate of 1.1%. That compares to 0.9% Thursday.

Based on TDH website data, Sullivan County had tested 838 people out of 158,348, for a testing rate of 0.53% compared to 0.4% Thursday. Washington County, with 1,307 tests out of 129,375 residents, had a testing rate of 1%, up from 0.7% Thursday. The total testing rate for the three counties Friday was 0.8% compared to 0.6% Thursday.

The statewide testing results for Friday’s reports are:

— Tennessee: 131,298 people tested out of a population of 6.83 million, or 1.9% compared to 1.68% Thursday.

— Virginia: 69,015 people tested out of a population of 8.63 million, or 0.8% compared to Thursday’s reported 0.7%.

Tennessee has reported a total of 8,726 confirmed cases and 168 deaths during the pandemic, while Virginia has reported 11,594 cases and 410 deaths.